ARKANSAS, USA — As 5COUNTRY prepares for more winter weather this week, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) and AAA are encouraging drivers to put together "car emergency kits.”
Being stranded in the car for hours on a cold winter day is a predicament some drivers on I-49 found themselves on the morning of Friday, Jan. 5, as crews worked to remove a semi that crashed due to the snowy weather near the Bobby Hopper Tunnel.
The situation serves as a reminder of how important it is to be prepared with essentials in the car during unpredictable winter weather.
AAA recommends keeping the car stocked with a car cell phone charger, blankets, first aid kit, bottled water and snacks, ice scraper, flashlight, and traction aid.
ARDOT spokesperson Dave Parker also emphasized the importance of having these items on hand and said any time there is potential for winter weather, drivers need to think ahead about what their family might need over an extended period.
“Go through your own system your own way and think, ‘Okay, I'm out on the interstate, we're going to be here four to five hours … I've got my kids in the car or my parents … What am I going to need to get through so that it's going to be safe and not miserable?' Kind of create your own list,” Parker said.
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